The average cost to brick a house is $24,000. That said, your costs may vary from $10,000 to $75,000 depending on the size of your home, local labor rates, and the type of brick.
There’s just something about brick exteriors that makes them undeniably attractive. They’re rustic and cozy, and they can create an intriguing contrast with your home’s modern features. Installing brick siding on your house is a big project, and you’ll probably want to work with a pro who can do the heavy lifting (literally and figuratively). So how much does it cost to brick a house?
You will pay an average of $15 per square foot to install brick siding on your house, with costs typically falling between $9 and $28 per square foot. For a standard home with roughly 1,600 square feet of siding, you’ll spend an average of $24,000 to brick the house.
This price range refers to siding, not solid walls. Brick walls cost $10 to $40 per square foot.
Make sure you set aside a budget for brick siding maintenance after finishing the job.
Chances are, you already have a budget in mind for this project and are wondering how far it will go. Here’s what you’ll get for the following prices.
If you have a small dwelling with some existing brick that you can repair versus replace, then you might be able to do the job for $5 per square foot. You may choose to only brick part of the outside of the house if your home is larger than that. Keep in mind that this isn’t an easy Saturday afternoon job, so don’t try to do it yourself unless you have plenty of experience laying the brick correctly.
Think you’re up for the task? We’ll walk you through how to install brick veneer siding.
This budget is generally the low end if you hire a professional for a small home of around 1,000 square feet.
The average cost to brick a house comes in at $24,000. This applies to a home with around 1,600 square feet of exterior walls that need to be sided.
This budget is on the high end to brick a typical home. At this price, you’ll typically be paying for high-quality, premium materials and a high-end contractor ($28 per square foot) for a larger home (around 3,000 square feet).
If you own a mansion of 5,000 square feet or more, you can expect the price tag to get into six figures because of the sheer size of the job. Square footage is always going to be the biggest driver when calculating how much it costs to brick a home.
If you’re trying to figure out how to stay at the low end of the price spectrum while still getting the quality you want, it’s helpful to look at some of the key factors that affect the cost of this project.
The biggest factor affecting the price of this project is going to be the size of the house. It just makes sense: A larger house means more surface area to cover, meaning you need more supplies, and it takes longer. One way you could keep this cost as low as possible is to install brick siding on only part of the house’s exterior. It all comes down to your design preferences, of course, but it's an option.
There can be a wide price range depending on the type of brick siding. For example, you may pay as little as $3 per square foot for inexpensive thin brick veneer strips, but pay a premium of $10 per square foot for the best faux brick panel siding. For a home with 1,600 square feet of exterior wall to be covered, that's a difference between paying $4,800 and $16,000 for brick supplies alone.
Labor is always a wild card with projects like this. Some projects are more difficult than others. For example, you may have to strip out siding that's already there, so it may take longer to complete the task. This translates to more people or longer hours and thus a higher siding replacement cost. Plus, factors like the cost of living and demand for this project in your area can all have an effect on your final labor cost.
So where does all that money go, exactly? Let's take an average job costing $24,000 that involves putting face brick siding on 1,600 square feet of exterior walls. Here’s a breakdown of cost estimates for bricking a house:
If you like taking on projects and have ample experience working on siding—and specifically with brick—you can still DIY some of this project. For instance, you can remove old siding and clean up the site before the pros step in. But for the most part, we don’t recommend DIYing a bricking project. Bricking is incredibly challenging and labor-intensive. Simple mistakes could lead to costly repairs and even injuries.
If you don’t have the extensive know-how to brick a home, you should absolutely hire a local masonry contractor or local home builder to tackle this siding project. Masons charge anywhere between $70 and $110 per hour, but this is a small price to pay for your safety and a job well done.
When choosing a brick siding pro to work on your house, it's important to vet local contractors before settling on the best stone mason near you. A good rule of thumb is to compare at least three brick siding companies to find the best rate for the level of expertise you're looking for. Here are some questions to ask a brick siding pro to help you choose the right company:
What credentials do you have?
Are you licensed and bonded?
Could I see pictures of your previous work?
How long have you been in business?
How much do you think it will cost to brick my house?
How long will the project take to complete?
What other services do you offer in addition to brick siding?
Brick can increase the value of your home depending on the type of masonry materials used. Homes generally have a higher resale value when they have brick siding, and brick is also easier to maintain (and lasts longer) than other types of siding, which can motivate buyers to make an offer.
Just keep in mind, however, that although brick can up the asking price when you sell your house, the cost to brick a house is also more expensive than other typical siding costs—so you’ll invest more in the project.
The best way to lower the cost of installing brick siding is to shop for low-cost materials that are still high quality and consider bricking a portion of the exterior instead of the whole house. Many people immediately assume that doing the work themselves is the best way to cut costs, but this can lead to more costs if the job isn’t done correctly.
After installing brick siding, having a consistent brick maintenance schedule can help prolong the life span of your brick house while keeping that curbside appeal up and running.
There are many types of brick siding to choose from, and ultimately it will come down to personal preference, but one good option to consider if you're doing the job yourself is interlocking brick siding. This lightweight siding doesn't require mortar or adhesives, so you won't need much bricklaying experience.